The Portland daily press., 1887-07-25
A SUM MER FREsHET.
Great Damage Caused by the Heavy
Rains.
Loss of Life in New Jersey and
Massachusetts.
Railroad Traffic Suspended on a
Pennsylvania Line.

LAKE PLEASANT, Mass, July A.-The
most severe storm ever known in this vicin-
ity has ragged the last few days, and the
water in Lake Pleasant is two feet higher
than ever before. The wharf is badly dam
aged. The roar of mountain streams can be
heard for miles. 1t was reported there was
a rise in the Connecticut river Of ten feet in
one hour and 20 minutes. No trains have
passed since morning A washout is re-
ported on the Fitchburg railroad near Erying
100 feet long and 30 feet deep. All the car
riage roads in the vicinity are badly dam
aged and many bridges have been carried
away.
PETERBoRo, N. H., July 24.-The heavy
rains Of the last four days caused the Conto-
cook and Nubunusit rivers to reach a higher
point than ever before known.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, July PA special
from Great Darlington reports Is lives lost
by the food.
A special from Miller's Falls says the
heavy rain last night and today did much
damage. There were one landslide and a
dozen washouts within two miles of that
place on the Fitchburg road.
New YORK, July 23.-Two bridges on the
Harlem railroad between Hillside and Cary
vile were washed away by the flood yester-
day morning. and all traffic is suspended on
the road beyond that point. The Chatham
express, due in this city at 1925 o'clock, was
caught between the washouts, and Is unable
TO get either way. The washouts are several
hundred feet long, and it will require two or
three days to repair them. IL will be imp0s-
sible for the imprisoned train to get through
before tomorrow. There are but few pas
sengers aboard. Many fences have also been
washed away.
EAsToN, Pa, July 23.-Several washouts
have occurred on the Bangor & Portland
railroad, caused by today's storm, and all
trains have been abandoned. The Delaware
and Lehigh rivers are rapidly rising. and IL
is feared that the breast of the Easton dam,
which is being rebuilt, will give way, and
traihs on the Lehigh Valley railroad are de-
layed, owing to the tracks being covered with
water and earth in several places.
PHLLIPsBURG, N. j., July 23.-An un-
precedented electric storm, accompanied by
heavy rainfall, occurred here today. The
house OF George Fox, station agent at Name
ruka Chunk, was undermined by water from
the tunnel and wrecked. Mr.. Fox's mother
and his niece, Mrs. Beers, were killed. Sew
eral farm houses were struck by lightning
The Buttsville depot was burned. All the
telegraph and telephone lines are down.
The storm caused great destruction to prop
erty throughout the country.
RIcHFoRD, Vt, July 23.-A heavy shower
last night caused much damage. The rail
road bridge at Sutton, Que, was carried off.
GREAT HARRINGTON, Mass, July 23.-The
town of Hillsdale, IL miles distant, was Wis
tied by terrible calamity this afternoon.
Continuous thunder, with little rain. pre-
vailed all the morning, accompanied with
peculiar appearance of the sky. Later foF-
rents of rain fell, and, to cap the climax, a
cloud burst north of the village. The water
divided at the summit Of the Tacktonc
mountains. One-half of the torrent washed
down the Harlem road, doing great damage.
Most of the bridges below Chatham were
washed away. An engine was sent out pros
pectlng, but the bridges behind it were car
rled off, and the engine was stranded. Traffic
was suspended on the Harlem railroad. Pas
sengers were transferred via the Boston Il
Albany to the Housatonic road. The Hill
side Plow Works were swept away. |
Throughout this section the water rose 10 |
feet in half an hour. Green rivers ten |
bridges went down one after another, and |
dams weighing hundreds of tons were swept |
away in the. overfiowing torrent. Many |
acres of grain were entirely DESTROYED |
Cattle were drowned by the wholesale, and |
human lives are reported lost. The water is
over G tne Housatonic railroad, both here and |
at Sheffield. At this place, during the pro-
gress OF the storm, gaseous ball, two feet |
In diameter, descended and burst with re- |
port as loud as cannon.
GREENFIELD, Mass, July 24-Several bad |
wash0uts occurred this morning on the |
Fitchburg road. At Ewing there was one 20 |
feet long and between 10 and II feet deep. |
There are others somewhat shorter but |
equally deep. All travel to-day was sus-
pended.
The hotels tonight are filed with crowds |
Of disappointed passengers, unable to pro-
ceed further on their way on account Of /
the washouts on the railroad.
New HAVEN, Conn.,, July 24.-A perfect |
deluge of rain has fallen in this city during |
the past two days. Much damage has been |
done In the surrounding country. The heat |
has been and is frightful and the death rate |
is the largest ever known during a similar |
month
The cloud burst of Friday morning caused
Green river to overflow and Williams bridge
at Afford, 63 feet long and ten feet above |
water, was carried away. The water rose
about ten feet. Kellogg's grist mill below
the village was saved by opening the gates.
The dam was damaged. At Berkshire
Heights the reservoir water came over the
lam. But one life was lost, Frank Charles
Drum Of Caryville who climbed into a rail-
road tank to escape the flood and was
Twenty-three bridges have zone,
besides griSt mills, dams and factories.
DOVER, n. f., July 24.-It has been rain
ing steadily since Thursday, at o'clock D.
m, and the total rainfall from then until to-
night is estimated at about nine inches,
which is unprecedented here. The COcheco |
river is roaring torrent. The flush boards |
were swept away this morning, and by ac-
tual measurement at O'Clock tonight the
volume OF water rushing over the COehecO |
dam was 81 inches, with the freshet inoreas-
ing. All the lowlands throughout the coun-
ty are badly inundated, and considerable |
damage has been done to the hay crop. Sew
eral highway bridges are in danger. Many
are impossible tonight, on account /
Of the washouts.
BOSTON, July PA special to the Globe
says the loss by the flood in the Green River
Valley, n. T., will reach $4,000.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, July 24.-The only /
news received from Mill River Valley tonight |
is that one grist mill and dam have given
way. Tidings of disaster have been expect
ed all day. A part of the foundation of |
Hills grist mill at Williamsburg was washed
out this morning. but ii Is impossible to
learn what damage the giving way of the /
dam tonight has DONE Reports from Berk-
shire county are meagre. A short despatch, |
saying IL persons were drowned on the New |
York side of the Taghonic range, is all the
news obtainable.
Two passenger trains and one freight, with |
live car loads of hogs, are stalled. Passen-
gers were carried to Erving by trains which.
In returning, were nearly washed into Mil |
ler's river, and the freight house has been |
undermined and one side of il has settled |
three feet. The contents have been removed.
Five freight cars are in a ditch Just below |
the freight house. The rear walls of the |
Lake House have settled badly, showing
cracks two inches wide. brakes coal shed |
Is a total wreck. Several cellars are filled
with water and the roads are washed badly.
Y Is reported the bridge at the mouth Of